Director, Public Relations & Corporate Communications
Job Description
Role OverviewCoStar Group is seeking a Director of Public Relations & Corporate Communications to lead and execute the company's enterprise-wide corporate communications strategy across its global portfolio of brands during a period of continued growth, competitive intensity, and heightened market visibility.
The role encompasses corporate reputation, executive visibility, media relations, thought leadership, financial communications support, and crisis communications, and operates in close partnership with the Founder and CEO and executive leadership team, with broad cross-functional visibility across Investor Relations, Legal, Finance, Product, Analytics, Research, and Marketing.
This is not a traditional PR role; it requires a proactive strategist who anticipates narrative shifts before they surface and positions the company on offense rather than waiting to respond.
The Director will manage and develop a high-performing communications team, including the Manager of Residential Communications, the Manager of Commercial Communications, and the Manager of UK & European Communications. This leader will also oversee and direct the work of external public relations agencies supporting CoStar Group's brands and corporate initiatives.
This is a senior leadership role based in Arlington, Virginia, requiring five days per week in the office. The position reports to the VP, CoStar Group Marketing & Communications and maintains a direct working relationship with the CEO, with responsibility for leading corporate communications efforts and partnering closely with external agency teams.
Why This Role MattersCoStar Group is digitizing the world's real estate markets - and operating in an intense competitive environment where narrative matters, the CEO expects their communications leader to be in the room shaping strategy, not drafting press releases after the fact.
The Director of Public Relations will ensure CoStar Group's industry transforming innovation, data leadership, and marketplace growth are clearly understood by customers, investors, media, and the broader industry - while actively shaping how the market interprets CoStar Group's momentum versus competitors.
This is a strategic narrative leadership position responsible for:
- Shaping how the market interprets CoStar Group's strategy and momentum
- Ensuring the company leads - not follows - industry conversations
- Building brand awareness and driving site authority for CoStar Group and the company's industry leading brands
- Neutralizing competitive narratives before they gain traction
- Serving as a strategic advisor to the Founder and CEO on executive profiling and external positioning
Success requires anticipation, decisiveness, and executive-level confidence.
Key ResponsibilitiesCEO Partnership & Executive Communications- Work in close, high-frequency partnership with the CEO on corporate positioning, market narrative and external visibility.
- Act as a strategic thought partner on market perception, competitive framing, and reputational exposure.
- Provide candid counsel privately while ensuring disciplined, unified messaging publicly.
- Anticipate media angles, analyst questions, and competitive narratives before they surface - and proactively bring forward messaging strategies rather than waiting for direction.
- Coach executives on media appearances, public messaging, and earnings communications.
- Prepare leadership for interviews, conferences, and high-stakes public engagements.
- Operate effectively at CEO speed and intensity within a founder-led environment.
Media Relations & Thought Leadership- Architect and lead national and industry media strategy across business, technology, real estate, and financial press.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with top-tier journalists and influential media voices.
- Position executives as industry authorities through proactive media engagement, commentary, and speaking opportunities.
- Drive proactive storytelling and earned media coverage using proprietary data, analytics, and research insights.
- Ensure high standards of quality, consistency, and accuracy across all press materials and public communications.
Product & Marketplace Communications- Lead PR strategy supporting major product initiatives and marketplace growth (e.g., Homes.com, Apartments.com, LoopNet).
- Partner with Product Marketing Sales, Research, Analytics, and Data teams to communicate innovation, differentiation, and growth milestones.
- Elevate CoStar's competitive advantages through data-backed storytelling.
Strategic Communications & Narrative Leadership- Develop and execute a comprehensive corporate communications strategy that advances CoStar Group's reputation, supports business growth, and aligns with company-wide strategic priorities.
- Shape and amplify CoStar's enterprise narrative across residential, commercial, and international markets, ensuring consistent positioning across brands and geographies.
- Craft sharp, decisive messaging that consistently positions CoStar as the category leader in real estate data and digital marketplaces.
- Translate complex data, research, and marketplace insights into clear, compelling narratives.
- Ensure alignment across PR, marketing, investor messaging, product communications, and executive visibility.
- Develop corporate messaging frameworks, positioning statements, and narrative platforms that influence market perception and sentiment.
Market & Investor Narrative Management- Understand how communications impact stock performance, analyst interpretation, and investor confidence.
- Partner closely with Investor Relations, Finance, and Legal to align messaging with earnings cycles, corporate disclosures, and strategic milestones.
- Operate fluently within SEC disclosure requirements and Regulation FD, ensuring communications are bold yet compliant.
- Support messaging strategies for earnings announcements, acquisitions, major corporate initiatives, and market-moving events.
Rapid Response & Reputation Management- Lead corporate reputation management, including proactive media outreach, rapid response, and issues management.
- Direct crisis communications planning and execution, including development of response frameworks, holding statements, and executive messaging.
- Coordinate cross-functional responses with Legal, IR, and executive leadership during high-visibility situations.
- Anticipate reputational risks and prepare proactive communications strategies.
- Maintain calm, decisive leadership during high-pressure moments.
Competitive Intelligence & Narrative Positioning- Monitor competitor messaging, analyst sentiment, industry coverage, and social narratives in real time.
- Identify opportunities to capitalize on competitor missteps while preserving brand credibility.
- Frame CoStar's narrative in differentiated contrast to competitors in ways that resonate with customers, investors, and media.
- Provide ongoing narrative intelligence and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
Digital & Modern Media Strategy- Leverage social media, podcasts, and direct-to-audience platforms to amplify messaging beyond traditional channels.
- Understand how narratives spread digitally and proactively shape or counter viral conversations.
- Develop modern communications strategies that expand reach and influence.
- Apply data and analytics to measure message penetration, share of voice, sentiment, and overall effectiveness.
Performance & Operational Leadership- Establish KPIs including share of voice, sentiment analysis, narrative penetration, and media impact.
- Deliver executive-level reporting linking communications outcomes to business performance and market perception.
- Oversee relationships with external public relations agencies, set objectives, managing scope, evaluating performance, and ensuring measurable impact.
- Ensure integrated execution across communications programs with consistent standards of excellence and strategic alignment.
Required Experience- 10+ years of progressive experience in public relations, corporate communications, or strategic media leadership, with at least 3-5 years operating in a senior leadership capacity.
- Experience supporting a publicly traded company, preferably within a high-growth technology platform, digital marketplace, data-driven business, financial services, or real estate environment.
- Demonstrated success developing, elevating, and protecting corporate reputation at a national or global organization during periods of growth, competitive intensity, or market scrutiny.
- Proven experience leading communications tied to earnings cycles, M&A activity, product launches, major corporate milestones, and other high-visibility market moments.
- Strong understanding of capital markets communications, SEC disclosure requirements, and Regulation FD; ability to partner effectively with Investor Relations, Legal, and Finance.
- Experience serving as a trusted advisor to CEOs and C-level executives, providing strategic counsel on messaging, media engagement, crisis response, and public positioning.
- Established relationships with national business, financial, technology, and real estate media.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and measure external agency performance against defined KPIs and measurable impact metrics.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data, research, and business strategy into clear, compelling narratives.
- Strong executive presence with the ability to influence at the highest levels of an organization.
- Demonstrated ability to thrive in high-pressure, high-visibility, fast-moving environments with multiple competing priorities.
Preferred Experience- Experience working closely with CEO/Founder, Executive Leadership, Investor Relations and Legal teams in a founder-led or high-performance culture.
- Background in SaaS, marketplaces, or data-driven businesses.
- Track record of shaping narratives during periods of intense competition or market scrutiny.
Key Competencies- Strategic storyteller and narrative architect
- Market- and investor-aware communicator
- Strategic foresight - anticipates rather than reacts
- CEO-level advisory presence
- Proactive, forward-learning communicator
- Competitive intelligence mindset
- Calm and decisive under pressure
- Regulatory fluency
- Data-driven decision maker
- Highly collaborative yet independent operator
Education- Bachelor's degree from an accredited not-for-profit in person University or College required in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Business, Political Science, or a related field
- Advanced degree (MBA, Master's in Communications, Journalism, Public Policy, or similar) preferred but not required.
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